1WTC Elevators Travel Through NYC Construction History

Screen capture from The New York Times' video showing the virtual time-lapse of the rise of the NYC skyline from a 1WTC elevator sky pod.

April222015

When the One World Trade Center Observatory opens next month, visitors will not only experience 360° views of New York City, they will also see 500 years of the city's construction history in a virtual time-lapse shown during the elevator ride to the 102nd floor -- all in under 60 seconds.

The New York Times has posted a video of what you’ll see when you board one of five dedicated sky pod elevators to ascend to the 102nd floor of One World Trade Center (1WTC). Immersive, floor-to-ceiling LED technology will show an animated timeline that recreates the development of NYC’s skyline from the 1600s to present day.

1WTC’s observation deck will open to the public starting May 29. The 104-story, 1776-ft steel-framed skyscraper officially opened in November. For more on the 1WTC project, see the article “Rising to the Top” from MSC’s February 2014 issue.